“A homemaker or a housewife is a person who is always free and jobless,” is a refrain we have all heard at one time or the other. This phrase has the ability to send all homemakers into a angered frenzy. The fact that even today, people have such a mentality is not only alarming, but shows how we have regressed as a society. Recently, during a divorce proceeding, the Karnataka High Court’s Justice S Raghavendra Chauhan had declared, “A large number of people continue to believe that a housewife is free. A housewife is as busy as a professional! She is responsible for looking after the family and for running the household, and that is not easy.”
We speak to city-based housewives to find out their view on this regressive belief. Disagreeing with the fact that homemakers are free, homemaker, Dhanalakshmi TG says, “Homemakers have numerous responsibilities to fill, and look after the house when everyone else is at work. Being a homemaker is stressful. I tend to ask myself questions like what to cook? How to handle certain situations? After being a housewife for so long, I have learnt to balance all the chores. From doing the dishes to cooking to keeping the house clean, although very challenging, it’s all done by the end of the day. Free time is only in the evening till the family comes home. It is better on Sundays as I have help.”
For a homemaker, her job puts a smile on her face as well as on the face of her family members. Amrita S Chugh says, “I think housewives are much busier than any other professional. My day starts as soon as I awaken, even before my first cup of tea, and ends late at night. Being a housewife is a real blessing as I get to take care of each and every family member and this brings a smile to my face. Although a housewife is not paid, but the smiling faces of her children makes her day bright. She forgets all her tiredness.”
Rathi Rishikesh, a city-based homemaker is frazzled that homemakers do not have time for anything other than taking care of their homes, “Homemakers have the entire household to look after. Every day is a real task. I have not had time to even read the newspaper in the morning as I am busy looking after the children, my husband, and cooking too. My days start with breakfast, then lunch and finally it ends with dinner. It is only in the afternoon that I get some time to myself which I utilise to either watch TV or read the newspaper.”
Psychologist Neeti Singh says, “For those people who say that raising a child and managing a household is not a hard job, I would counter argue with those people. Being a homemaker that manages a household as well as takes care of the people is something that cannot be bought by paying money to outsiders. They should be valued more than all the professional services we hire, for their contribution is endless and tireless.”
